Charleston took five of six in the series last year, which included a 2-1 series win at L.P. Frans. The RiverDogs’ three-game sweep at home in late August began a downward spiral for the Crawdads in the final week of the season that knocked them out of the SAL playoffs. Charleston has won 4 of 6 at Hickory the past two years. Since 2009, which was the start of the Rangers-Crawdads affiliation, Hickory holds a 50-45 edge in the overall series, 27-21 at L.P. Frans.

About the Crawdads:

Hickory started the homestand with two straight wins over Delmarva (Md.), then lost the final two to fall into a split. The current eight-game homestand is the longest of the season… Overall, the Crawdads have pitched well as of late, especially in the starting rotation. Prior to Thursday night’s 10-5 loss to the Shorebirds, Hickory starters had an eight-game stretch during which they allowed eight earned runs over 46.1 innings with 49 Ks and 8 walks. The Crawdads starters have not walked a batter in four straight games. Near the top of the SAL in walks allowed much of the season, the Crawdads are now fourth in that category… Meanwhile, the Crawdads are back to looking for answers at the plate. Since scoring 11 runs in a win vs. Columbia on 5/9, Hickory has scored more than three runs in a game just five times in 13 games. Among the 14-team SAL, the Crawdads are last in doubles and next to last iin extra-base hits. They are also 11th in batting average, 12th in runs scored and total bases, and 13th in hits. Their .240 batting average in May is next to last.… The team continues to be stellar in the field. Their 39 errors – just 23 on the infield – are the second fewest in the SAL.

Managed by Julio Mosquera in his first season as the skipper. He led short-season Staten Island to a 46-29 record and a playoff berth in the New York-Penn League in 2017… The RiverDogs were shutout in two games at Augusta (Ga.), but salvaged the final game of the rain-shortened series… Like the Crawdads, Charleston has struggled to put runs on the board. It has scored five or more runs in just 6 of 20 games in May, with one or fewer runs in eight of them. They are just above Hickory at .241 for the month and for the season. Collectively, the RiverDogs are 12th in OBP (.309) and slugging pct. (.360) and that has contributed to a last-place showing in the SAL in runs scored… Base stealing has also been an issue as they are just over .500 in pilfer attempts (29-for-57)…The pitching, however, has kept the team from sliding into an abyss record wise. The staff WHIP of 1.13 is second in the SAL and the team ERA of 2.86 is third. Charleston has surrendered just 18 HRs, the fewest in the league, and only Augusta has given up fewer hits.

Prospects to watch-Charleston (rankings by MLB.com):

3B Dermis Garcia (No. 21): 2018 stats: 4-for-22, 2B, HR, 10 K. Joined the RiverDogs from extended spring on 5/17. Last series at Augusta: 2-for-11, 4 K. Signed with the Yankees as an international free agent in 2014. Native of Santo Domingo, D.R.

The win was the second straight by Hickory (16-24) to open the four-game series, which continues Wednesday night at 6 p.m. Delmarva (26-17) lost its third straight game and has dropped six of the last eight overall. The Shorebirds now trail first-place Kannapolis by two games in the first-half Northern Division standings.

It was the Tyree Thompson show from the start as the right-hander kept the Shorebirds off balance throughout the game. The New Orleans native allowed just six baserunners over a pro career high of 7.1 innings and struck out three.

Meanwhile, the Crawdads, led by Huff and Enright, supplied the runs Thompson (2-3) needed early. Facing starter D.L. Hall, Austin O’Banion doubled and scored when Huff also doubled off the left field wall. In the fourth, Huff doubled with two outs and Enright swatted his third homer of the season to left-center to make it 3-0.

Franklin Rollin’s speed played a large part for a run in the seventh. He reached on an infield hit, stole second and moved to third on an error from where Tyreque Reed doubled him in.

The right-hander was economical all-night, needing just 65 pitches to get through seven innings. No Shorebirds hitter saw more than four pitches in a plate appearance before the game reached one out in the eighth. That batter, Arlington (Tex.) native Jaylen Ferguson, lined a 3-2 pitch over the fence in left for his first homer in the second game since joining the Shorebirds. After Thompson walked Kirvit Moesquit, the Crawdads brought in reliever Alex Speas, who recorded the final two outs.

Hickory added a run on a bases-loaded walk in the eighth. Speas returned with a dominant ninth, striking out the final two batters of the game for his fourth save of the season.

More on Tyree Thompson:

When the Shorebirds Moesquit hit the second pitch of the game, a middle-in fastball, hard to Reed at first, it looked ominous. As it turned out, it was the last hard-hit ball by the Shorebirds against Thompson until Jean Carrillo lined out to center in the fifth.

Thompson’s fastball started the night topping at 93 mph, but he stayed around 89-91 much of the night and spotted it well. It was the second strong start in a row for the 20-year-old – he allowed one run on four hits and three walks over six innings last week against Rome (Ga.) – which he said has been the result of a mechanical adjustment.

“I’m just tweaking some simple things with my hands, as far as movement,” Thompson said. “It helped me as far as conviction wise and command wise to be able to throw the ball wherever I want.”

That command was with three pitches: the fastball, change and an occasional curve. Thompson broke his first curveball off to strike out Trevor Craport in the second. After a walk and an error put two on in the second, Thompson got Carrillo to bounce a changeup into a force play.

The changeup got a lot of play by Thompson and it was largely responsible for the ten groundball outs recorded.

“They’re a good hitting team,” said Thompson of the plan of attack. “But once you get ahead early in the count, they’re protecting. My strength is getting ahead of batters and getting them out in four pitches or less.”

A couple of defensive plays aided Thompson’s gem. In the first, Thompson tried to make a backhand stab of a comebacker. The ball deflected to the first-base side of second, where shortstop Cristian Inoa made a quick charge of the play and threw to first for the out. Playing center on Wednesday, Rollin saved a hit in the fifth with a full-out dive and catch to his left.

The defensive plays along with the early runs boosted Thompson’s confidence.

“If I get a run ahead, that’s a plus for me because I know what kind of pitcher I am, and I know my strengths. When I get a run ahead, it makes me compete more, knowing my defense is behind me. I throw strikes and do what I have to do, knowing my defense will make plays.”

Tyree Thompson allowed a run on three hits over 7.1 innings vs. Delmarva on Tuesday (photo courtesy of Tracy Proffitt)

The game’s turning point:

D.L. Hall, the Baltimore Orioles No. 4 prospect, had spotty control early, but got into a groove into the third. Gassing around 94-95 with increasing command of the changeup, Hall had retired eight in a row after Huff’s RBI double in the second. He was ready to make it nine with two outs in the fourth and Huff back at the plate.

The Shorebirds went after Huff in the second with three straight secondary pitches, the third of which was a hanging curve that Huff roped off the wall. So in the fourth, Hall came with two straight fastballs that put Huff in an 0-2 hole. A third fastball missed just inside and before Hall went back to two straight changeups. Huff spoiled both.

The final pitch of the AB was a 93 mph just off the plate – too close to take – that Huff not only spoiled, but got enough of the pitch off the end of the bat to bounce the ball past first for a double.

Enright followed with a homer on a 2-0 fastball and that turned out to be the game.

Alex Speas ninth:

The dude was gassing.

After a 4-3 grounder, Speas made Ryan Ripken uncomfortable in the box. A 98 mph heater had the left-handed hitting Ripken stepping towards first on a swing-and-miss. Ripken flicked a second 98 into the stands. Expecting another heater, Speas fooled him with an 89 slider that closed into the hitter’s hands. A half-hearted swing completed the strikeout.

Delmarva has dominated the series this season, winning five of six overall and two of three at L.P. Frans in April. Since the Crawdads-Rangers affiliation began in 2009, Delmarva has won just one season series, that coming in 2015.

About the Crawdads:

A quick road trip at Kannapolis resulted in a 2-1 series loss at Kannapolis, as the final game of the series was suspended Sunday afternoon… Hickory is 10-9 at home this season… After a hot start in May, the Crawdads have come back to earth and are currently at .247/.325/.394 for the month. The team is next to last in the SAL in hits, last in doubles, 11th in runs scored, 12th in total bases and 13th in extra-base hits… The pitching had a good last run through the rotation and as a staff the team had allowed four or fewer runs in six straight before giving up five through five innings in the suspended game. Overall, the Crawdads are 11th in ERA (4.45), 12th in WHIP (1.40) and have walked the second most in the SAL… Defensively, Hickory has committed the fewest errors in the SAL (35 in 38 games). Collectively, Hickory has committed just four since May 9 (nine games).

Managed by Buck Britton in his first season with the club. He is the brother of Orioles reliever Zach Britton… Delmarva heads to Hickory after dropping two of three at home to Hagerstown (Md.), the Northern Division’s last place team… What had been a solid pitching staff this season, the Shorebirds got knocked around a bit last week as they gave up seven or more runs in three of the last four games – all losses. The one win was a shutout in game one of a doubleheader on Sunday. The team ERA of 3.26 is still fifth in the SAL and they have five shutouts this season. Delmarva has allowed just 20 homers, but are just five behind Hickory in walks allowed… At the plate, the Shorebirds are near the top of the SAL teams. Collectively, they are second in the SAL in batting avg. (.263) and hits, third in runs, total bases and OPS (.723), fourth in OBP (.329) and homers, and fifth in slugging pct. (.394). They are next to last in strikeouts… Delmarva is first in fielding pct. (.976).

Prior to Thursday night’s game at Kannapolis, the Hickory Crawdads hit the quarter mark of the 2018 season. Since losing the first seven games to start the season, Hickory has been right around the .500 mark and is currently at 14-22.

Over the past week, the entire outfield got a makeover. Eric Jenkins was promoted to high-A Down East, Miguel Aparicio went to extended spring and Pedro Gonzalez. Up came 2017 first-round pick Bubba Thompson – along with first baseman Tyreque Reed – and suddenly the Crawdads are 5-3 since.

The three-headed monster behind the plate went to two as Rangers minor league player of the month Melvin Novoa went to Down East. The pitching staff is looking for consistency and two of the early season sparks have come in the former of utility players Justin Jacobs and Ryan Dorow. All in all, the Crawdads are in a better spot than they were in mid-April and with a tweak here and there, they could be a team to watch later this half and all of the second half.

I took a few moments to chat with Crawdads manager Matt Hagen at the end of the last homestand on Tuesday about the first 35 games of the season and what the hopes are for the next 35 games as the season churns along.

It’s the quarter point of the season and, record aside, I know this is about development. First, I want to get an overview of the positives you see in the development side?

Hagen: Record aside, we are trying to develop the ability to win games, too. We put ourselves in such a hole early on the way we came out. We did not swing the bats real well early in the season. The weather was cold and the ball wasn’t carrying. You look at the games we’d win, typically there were some home runs involved.

I think that all three of our catchers have gotten better, that’s why one of them moved up. Infield play has been one of our strengths this season, making the routine plays.

We had the ability to promote an outfielder that had been here for two years, so the work he’d put in paid off.

Our starting pitchers have been better the last few outings If you look at Tyree (Thompson), there’s a few things. AJ Alexy as been throwing the ball better the last few starts. So, we’re definitely getting better on the pitching side. Then I look at the way (Joe) Barlow threw today, (DeMarcus) Evans threw the ball well his last time, Sal’s (Mendez) been throwing lately and the way (Alex) Speas threw yesterday. Those are things to get really excited about from a pitching perspective.

There are a lot of changes that can happen at this level and suddenly you have a whole new outfield.

Hagen: The guys that have shown up have contributed right away. Getting a little fresh blood was great for us and when we get Pedro (Gonzalez) back and healthy – at some point in the future – he’s only going to make us better, too.

And Miguel was sent down, what is he going to be working on at this point?

Hagen: Well, at this point, he’s going to be working on a little bit of everything. He does a lot of things that the organization values, but just like everybody else, he’s got things to work on and hopefully he will make the most of his time down there.

You mentioned at the beginning of the year that you had a lot of hope for the two utility players – Justin Jacobs and Ryan Dorow – and both have really contributed some good innings for you?

Hagen: They’ve been awesome, the ability to plug both those guys in anywhere. JJ might play second one day, first, third, or right field the next day. Ryan, for me, has been a plus infielder no matter what position we’ve put him in. Like I said, they’re both hitting over .300. So, they’ve given us a lot of value and we’re not going to go anywhere without those two guys.

Next step that you’ve got to get to in this second-half of the first half

Hagen: I think we’re just looking for some consistency. We had some games in the first month, or whatever, where we weren’t in the game; we weren’t competitive. I looked over the past week, most of them we’ve been competitive in every game. I think that’s kind of the standard now, is to be in every game when you look up in the seventh, eighth, or ninth inning, and feel like we have a chance to win.

Kannapolis swept earned its first sweep of the Crawdads of any kind since at least 2004. Hickory won the season series in 2017 12-10, which included a 7-5 edge at Intimidators Stadium. Since the start of the Crawdads affiliation with the Rangers in 2009, Hickory is 96-66 against Kannapolis, 51-35 at Intimidators Stadium. The Intimidators last won a season series vs. Hickory in 2010 (7-9).

About the Crawdads:

The Crawdads split a four-game series at home against Rome (Ga.) and went 4-3 during their recent homestand…The offense at times continues to struggle at scoring runs. Though it is at .256/.332/.381 with runners on base, Hickory is third-to-last in runs scored as the Crawdads have trouble starting rallies early. Leading off an inning, the Crawdads have a .223/.290/.394 mark. Also 22 of the team’s 29 homers have been solo shots. Oddly, Hickory is last in doubles. In the middle of the pack of the SAL statistically, the slash line of .226/.294/.343 on the road has been a big part of why they are 3-13… Though better in recent days – Hickory allowed four or fewer runs in four of the last six contests – the staff ERA (4.86) during May is 12th out of 14 teams in the SAL. Overall, the Crawdads have give up the second most walks in the SAL and are 12th in WHIP (1.42).

Ryan Dorow went 5-for-11 in the recent series against Rome (photo courtesy of Tracy Proffitt)

Prospects to watch- Hickory (rankings are by MLB.com):

CF Bubba Thompson (No. 6): 2018 stats: 8-for-25, 3 2B, 1 HR, 2 BB, 3 K, 2 SB. Last series vs.Rome: 4-for-16, 2 2B, R, 2 RBI. First-round pick of the Rangers in 2018 out of McGill-Toolen High, Mobile, AL. Joined the team last Wednesday. Had at least one hit in five of the six games he played, two or more hits in three of them.

UT Ryan Dorow: 2018 stats: .300/.383/.471, 3 2B, 3 HR, 8 BB, 31 K. Last series vs. Rome: 5-for-11, 1 SB, 4 K. Thirtieth-round pick in 2017 out of Adrian (Mich.). Attended South Haven (Mich.) HS. Has started to see more playing time, rotating around the infield. Played in four straight and five of the last six games.

OF Franklin Rollin: 2018 stats at Down East: .209/.277/.279, HR, 2 BB, 9 K, 1 SB, 2 CS. Played in just 16 games at Down East, sent to Hickory on Monday and will slide into a fourth outfield role at Hickory. Signed an international free agent contract with the Rangers in 2013. Native of La Romana, D.R.

Kannapolis is managed by Justin Jirschele in his second season with the team (93-82). The Intimidators won the SAL North first-half title and went on to the playoffs before losing in the championship series to Greenville (S.C.)…The Intimidators have the SAL’s best mark in May at 11-3 after winning five of seven during the recent road trip to Asheville and Greenville (S.C.)…Kannapolis far outpaces the rest of the SAL with a .285 batting avg. (Delmarva is second at .267). It also leads in OBP (.351), runs scored, hits, RBI, total bases, and OPS (.774). The Intimidators are second in doubles and slugging pct. (.423)…The team’s pitching has also been solid with a staff ERA of 2.97… Kannapolis has been nearly unbeatable at home in 2018, going 15-3. The Intimidators have yet to lose back-to-back home games this season.

Tyler Ratliff lined a single into left to bring in pinch runner Franklin Rollin and sent the Hickory Crawdads to a 2-1 win over the Rome (Ga.) Braves Monday night at L.P. Frans Stadium.

With the win, Hickory (13-21) has won two of three during the current series and it will try for the series win Tuesday morning starting at 10:30 a.m. Rome (22-15) dropped into second place, a game behind Augusta (Ga.) in the South Atlantic League Southern Division.

Facing Braves reliever Brandon White (0-2), the Crawdads started the ninth with a booming double off the wall in center field by Tyreque Reed. Austin O’Banion’s grounder to first moved Reed to third from where Rollin took over. Reed wasted little time for the walk-off winner by lining an 0-1 pitch from the side-arming White into left.

Ynoa held the Crawdads hitless through five innings with the help of center fielder Drew Waters. The Braves No. 18 prospect made an on-the-run, leaping catch of a liner at the wall off the bat of Bubba Thompson in the first. Near the same spot, Waters – who also had two of the Braves seven hits – made an even better grab on a ball hit by Ratliff in the fourth when he scaled and reached over the wall to bring back a home run. Otherwise, Ynoa’s night was uneventful, as he struck out six and walked three. The lone hit against Ynoa was a home run by Justin Jacobs in the sixth.

Tyler Phillips matched zeroes on the scoreboard with five shutout innings. The Crawdads right hander allowed five hits and a walk with four strikeouts. He, too, got defensive help as Hickory turned two double plays behind him. The lone trouble for Phillips came in the fourth when William Contreras and Kurt Hoekstra each singled with two outs to put runners and first and third. Phillips got out of the inning by striking out Jean Carlos Encarnacion.

New reliever Derek Heffel entered the game for Hickory in the sixth. He allowed just two base runners over three innings and struck out three. However, the first base runner was a leadoff home run by Hoekstra to start the seventh and tie the game.

Alex Speas (1-0) dominated the Braves in the ninth with fastballs registering 96-98 mph. The right hander retired the side and struck out two.

Rome swept a three-game series at L.P. Frans Stadium in the only games played between the two teams in 2017. Since 2009 – the start of the Crawdads/ Rangers affiliation – Hickory is 30-26 overall, but the Braves own the advantage 18-16 at L.P. Frans.

About the Crawdads:

Hickory took the first two games of the homestand vs. Columbia (S.C.) before dropping the finale of the series on Friday… Overall, the pitching continues to take a beating in May. The team has allowed seven or more runs in five of the nine games played this month. Collectively, Hickory is second in the SAL in walks allowed and are next to last in WHIP (1.46)… Conversely, the sticks have turned it around this month. After a .242 team batting avg. in April, it is at .272 in May.

Managed by Rocket Wheeler, in his 26th season overall as a minor league manager, the 16th in the Braves organization. Wheeler (240-209 with Rome) returned to Rome this season. He last managed the R-Braves from 2003 to 2005 and won the SAL title with the team his first season… Rome comes to Hickory after winning 3 of 4 at Augusta to gain as a share of first in the SAL Southern Division… In the middle of the pack statistically, the pitching staff has allowed three or fewer runs in five of the last nine games.

Prospects to watch- Rome (rankings are by MLB.com):

C William Contreras (No. 17): 2018 stats: .246/.370/.361, 1 2B, 2 HR, 11 R, 4 RBI, 9 BB, 14 K. Last series at Augusta: 3-for-13, 2 BB, 3 K. Signed as an international free with the Braves in 2015. Native of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. Appalachian League all-star in 2017 at Danville (Va.). Brother of C Wilson Contreras of the Cubs. Joined the Braves on April 24.

CF Drew Waters (No. 18): 2018 stats: .225/.286/.408, 6 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 8 R, 9 RBI, 3 BB, 3 SB. Last series at Augusta: 2-for-12, 2 2B, 6 K. Returned from DL on 5/9 after over two weeks out with an injury. Second-round pick of the Braves in 2017 out of Etowah HS in Woodstock, Ga.

The Crawdads and Fireflies split a four-game series at Columbia in April. The Fireflies moved from Savannah, Ga. to Columbia at the start of the 2016 season. Since then, the Crawdads are 13-8 overall but just 5-5 at L.P. Frans. Hickory is 41-33 overall, 20-16 at home since 2009, which is the start of the Crawdads/ Rangers affiliation.

About the Crawdads:

The Crawdads limp home after finishing a rain-shortened, 1-5 road trip with two walk-off losses at West Virginia on Monday… A revamped roster will greet fans at L.P. Frans Stadium at the start of the homestand. Outfielder Eric Jenkins and catcher Melvin Novoa were both promoted to high-A Down East and shortstop Yonny Hernandez is now with AA Frisco (Tex.). Center fielder Pedro Gonzalez is on the disabled list with an undisclosed injury. Coming to the Crawdads are outfielders Bubba Thompson (extended spring) and Austin O’Banion (Frisco), infielder Cristian Inoa (Frisco) and first baseman Tyreque Reed (extended spring)… What had been a strong suit prior to the series at West Virginia stumbled over the weekend. After entering the series with the fewest errors in the SAL, Hickory committed six errors in three games… The pitching staff continues to struggle with walks. Though they have given up the fourth fewest hits in the SAL, the Crawdads are 11th in ERA on the backs of the second most walks allowed in the league.

IF Cristian Inoa: 2018 stats combined at AA Frisco and AAA Round Rock (Tex.): 5 games, .083/.214/.083, 2 BB, 3 K. Played mostly at SS last season at short-season Spokane. Signed with the Rangers in 2016 as an international free agent. Native of Santo Domingo, D.R.

OF Austin O’Banion: 2018 stats at AA Frisco: 4 games, .188/.235/.188, 1 BB, 7 K. Played mostly in LF at short-season Spokane in 2017. Thirty-seventh round pick by the Rangers in 2016 out of Cal State-Fullerton.

About the Fireflies:

Managed by Pedro Lopez in his first season at the helm of the team… Went 5-2 during their homestand over the past week including a 3-1 series win over Lakewood (N.J.). The Fireflies are off to a hot start at the plate in May. Currently, their .278 avg. is second in the SAL for the month and they scored six or more runs in four of the seven games at home. However, the road has been tough for Columbia as it has posted a .240/.367/. 325 slash line away from home. Overall, they are third in the SAL in batting avg. (.257) and second in OBP (.349). It is a patient team as the Fireflies lead the SAL in walks with players occupying the first, second and fifth spots individually. Columbia is second in the league in runs scored, third in hits and total bases… On the mound, it’s a group that throws a lot of pitches. Columbia leads the SAL in both strikeouts and walks allowed.

At 6-4, 180 lbs., Alex Speas isn’t the biggest physical specimen among the current pitching staff on the Hickory Crawdads, but at this point, he has the biggest fastball among them all. In my mind’s eye, he reminds me of Carl Edwards Jr., from the 2013 squad – a tall, lean stature that is a little more filled out than C.J. was then – that gives no hint of the heat that is to come from the right arm. Speas actually brings more heat than did Edwards at Low-A. When he gasses up the fastball, I mean really gasses up, he is touching 96-98 mph with an easy delivery.

The native of Powder Spring, Ga. is the Texas Rangers No. 23 prospect according to MLB.com. The fastball is a big reason why. The reports lists a curveball, but it appears the breaking ball is more of a slider that has a good bite to it. Further beading the brief scouting report about Speas, one sees a cautionary tale – control. Since joining the Rangers after the team picked him in the second round of the 2013 June draft out of McEachern High School, Speas has struck out 81 batters in 56 innings, but walked 45. He began with the Rangers as a starting pitchers but moved to the bullpen midway through the 2017 season at short-season Spokane.

In watching him here at Hickory, there are times he dominates opponents. Then there are other times that his pitches and home plate are incompatible.

In an April 16 outing vs. Lexington (Ky.), Speas had his pitches working in a ninth-inning outing. He struck out four in the ninth inning – one reached on a breaking ball that badly fooled the hitter on a strikeout as well as his catcher on what turned out to be wild pitch – as he threw 14 of 18 pitches for strikes. Two days later, though he didn’t walk anyone, he allowed three hits as the Legends hitters waited for strikes, of which there were just 16 of them in 29 pitches.

Another example of the Jekyll-and-Hyde nature that can be Speas was an outing vs. Delmarva (Md.) on April 27. Struggling with a landing spot on the mound, the control floundered as he walked two in the eighth. After an adjustment in his position on the rubber, Speas returned to pitch a 1-2-3 ninth and struck out one.

My interest in talking with Speas was to ask from his perspective what is the fine line of between the Alex Speas that gets hitters out and the one that walks them. With an infectious personality and a smile that would make a dentist jealous, Speas was honest in his assessment of his development and where he hopes that will take him in 2018.

Alex Speas from an exhibition game vs. Catawba Valley Community College (photo courtesy of Tracy Proffitt)

First of all, I want to ask you overall view of how you are doing so far?

Speas: I feel like it has started off pretty well for me. This is the first year as a full bullpen guy. I got moved into the bullpen role at the end of last season. I feel like it’s started off pretty well. I’ll have my two or three good outings and then I’ll have one, maybe two rough outings. I feel like consistency wise that I’m starting to get the feel for coming out of the bullpen and getting used to having to throw the back end of games after throwing in the front end of games. At first, it was a little rough to start off with and I’d say after my first two I got out of the way I had least two or three good ones and then I’d have one bad one. At the end of the day, I’d say right now I’m getting used to it and starting to get the consistency process of it and day by day pounding innings and getting more innings in the bullpen, so that when it comes down to it, I feel like this will be the role for me.

Did you have to adjust to the whole process? You had a routine being a starter and doing this one day and doing this another day. Now it’ll be a couple of days in between outings?

Speas: Yeah, it’s a big adjustment. The biggest adjustment for me was going from throwing every five or six days to now throwing maybe every other day, or back to back days. I’d say at first it was tough, but I’m getting used to the process. I felt good enough in spring training to throw basically every other day, even if I threw two innings or if I threw one inning that day. I’d say the biggest part was just making the adjustment of days of rest – how to take care of my body in between outings and get ready for the next day.

What is the biggest adjustment you made in taking care of yourself?

Speas: I think the biggest adjustment was finding a way of how I can relieve soreness or tightness on that day, to get over it. I think it played a big part to me now being able to know that, hey, this next day, I know what I need to do with my body after I threw a day. The day after that, I know that I’m going to feel a lot better. I’d say preparing my body. Now I have plenty of days where I’m not sore at all. Where there are days I might be tight, but even if I’m tight that day, I’m still able to throw.

98? Where did you find all of that?

Speas: I’d honestly say it’s just a blessing.

I’m looking at you and there’s not much leg there. Where are you finding that?

Speas: I’m not a big body and there’s a lot of guys taller than me, as well, and guys that are more filled out. I’d just say growing up being a three-sport athlete and just having the athletic ability, being blessed to just go out there and have a strong arm. It came to me naturally and I can’t say more.

Each year, I just focus on preparation with my arm and preparation with my body. It doesn’t show that I’m a heavy, strong guy, but I’m a really strong guy because in the offseason I take care of my body. I’m one of those guys that’s in the gym four to five days a week. I’m one of those guys that, when I’m here, I’m always asking to get an extra day in the gym, just because I feel that all that right there prepares me, like I said, to get rid of the tightness and get rid of the soreness. When I have those days that I threw 96 or 98 the first day, I still feel like I can come back the next day and still have it.

It looks like you are working on your secondaries quite a bit. What’s the focus, right now, as far as your secondaries?

Speas: I guess the biggest thing to focus was, if I’m ahead on my fastball, I throw my slider as a wipeout slider, or I can throw my slider in there for a strike. The biggest was being able to throw my slider when I’m behind in the count, to have trust in it. If it’s a day that I don’t have my fastball, I can trust in my slider.

The biggest thing is I think this year, mostly I throw more 3-2 sliders for strikeout pitches and more 2-2 sliders for strikeout pitches than having my fastball working the count. Because hitters now, as I continue to move up, as they know me as a plus-plus fastball guy, they’re sitting dead red for my fastball and they’re waiting for me to throw my fastball. There’s not much that they have to do except put the barrel of the bat on the ball and put it in play.

The biggest think was gaining trust in my slider. Gaining trust in my slider has helped me along to have more strikeouts and to be able to throw it in plus counts – throw it as a 1-0 count, a 3-2 count, to get more strikeouts and to get more strike calls.

Are you working on a changeup much?

Speas: I do. It’s a development thing for me. I’ll throw it every once in a while. There are days where I can say that my changeup is better than my slider. But there are days when I say that my changeup is my worst pitch, my third best pitch. It’s one of those things right now where we preach that we can get away at the Low-A and High-A level with a fastball and a slider, maybe a little bit at AA, but that’s one thing that I’m still developing each day. Every time I go out and play catch, every day I’ll throw a slider Every day I throw a bullpen I’m going to dominate that changeup because when the time comes, it’s going to be a time that I’ll need it.

What is the fine line for you where you will hit the spots where you want and you’ll have a good outing or inning and then struggle the next outing or inning?

Speas: The fine line is just the mental process. I was blessed with all the physical aspects of the game, to be able to throw hard and to be able to throw strikes when needed. But I think the biggest thing is me understanding the mental part of the game and being able to come out there and dominate the game, even when we are losing 7-1 like last night, even when we are tied 1-1, or when I have to come out and close the game. Because there are times when I’m going to come in in the fourth or fifth inning because I need to throw and we don’t have anymore relievers.

I think the biggest thing for me right now is the mental side because. Like I said, there will be days when I’ll have three good outings in a row. There will be days where I’ll just have two bad back-to-back outings. The raw talent and the raw ability I’m still figuring out and finding a fine line between it, but the mental side of the game, in my head, that’s where I’m trying to focus on the most.

When you throw an inning, what’s a perfect outing for you right now?

Speas: Nobody wants to go out there and give up runs. But a good day for me is if I go out there and I don’t feel like I’m giving into a hitter, and I feel like I’m attacking the zone at 100 percent each time. And I feel like a good outing for me – if I walk a guy, I walk a guy – but if I get out of the inning with zero runs and I’m still like I’m still in the 60 percent strike range, I feel like that’s a good day for me.

What are you goals for the rest of the year?

Speas: Just keep dominating. One of the big things for me, last year I wanted to cut my walks down. So, one of those things is that I’m getting to the point where I’m cutting the walks down and just find a more consistent basis. Maybe have four good outings and one bad outing and then get right back to the next four good outings. Just find the fine line between the mental game and finding the strong points where I can consistently have a good day.

Do you want to be a starter or reliever long term?

Speas: Long term, I think one of my biggest things was, just because of how hard I threw and in high school I came in and threw everything off the back end, I always wanted to be a reliever. But, I feel like that there is one day, if there is a time where I do end up gaining my changeup and I gain trust in all three of my pitches and I can throw it for strikes, then I’ll end up being a starter again.

Alex Speas awaits to throw a pitch at a game vs. West Virginia in April 2018 (photo courtesy of Tracy Proffitt)

PROBABLES (Hickory/ Kannapolis) (Note Crawdads pitchers supplied by Rangers media mailings/ Kannapolis probables based on usage by team to date. All pitching assignments scheduled to change):

Tuesday: RHP Tyler Phillips vs. LHP Parker Rigler

Wednesday: RHP Tyree Thompson vs. RHP Kade McClure

Thursday: RHP Alex Eubanks vs. Lincoln Henzman

Recent Series History:

Hickory won the season series in 2017 12-10, which included a 7-5 edge at Intimidators Stadium. Since the start of the Crawdads affiliation with the Rangers in 2009, Hickory is 96-63 against Kannapolis, 51-32 at Intimidators Stadium. The Intimidators last won a season series vs. Hickory in 2010 (7-9).

About the Crawdads:

The Crawdads salvaged the final game of three against Delmarva (Md.) over the weekend and settled for a 2-4 homestand against the Shorebirds and Greensboro… Hickory is 2-8 on the road, but split the last roadtrip 2-2 at Columbia… The Crawdads remain solid defensively with a SAL-low 18 errors committed. That has helped minimized some damage by the pitching staff, which had some rough patches over the homestand with six or more runs allowed in three of the final four games (25 total). Walks continue to plague the team as the staff is tied for second with 82 in 22 games. The group has struck out 184, the third fewest in the SAL… At the plate, Hickory is solidly in the middle of the SAL in slash stats .242/.309/.377. They put the ball in play for the most part. The Crawdads are next to last in Ks and last in walks received.

Kannapolis is managed by Justin Jirschele in his second season with the team (82-79). The Intimidators won the SAL North first-half title and went on to the playoffs before losing in the championship series to Greenville (S.C.)… Kannapolis returns home after a 3-4 trip to Delmarva (Md.) and Lakewood (N.J.). The Intimidators threw a two-hitter in the finale against the BlueClaws but lost 1-0 as they stranded 13. They were shutout twice on the trip and scored 19 runs over the seven games – ten of those came over the first two games of the series at Lakewood… Kannapolis at the plate is second in batting (.263) and hits, and third in OBP (.332) and doubles…Kannapolis has been stingy with runs this season with a team ERA of 2.36. The WHIP of 1.12 is third in the SAL.

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